Here are some suggested readings for a high school or undergrad intro to anthropology course. The list was compiled by Professor Kerri Waibel, teacher at Clifton High School and adjunct at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ.
1. Kottak, Conrad Phillip/Kozaitis, Kathryn. On Being Different. Diversity and Multiculturalism in the
North American Mainstream.2008.
2. Sharff, Jagna. King Kong On 4th Street: Families and the Violence of Poverty On the LowerEast Side
3. Rafferty, Kevin A., Ukaeghu, Dorothy Chinwe. Faces of Anthropology. “A Reader for the 21st Century”
5th Edition.
4. Turnbull, Colin M. The Forest People.
5. Podolefsky. Applying Anthropology, An Introductory Reader.
6. Kottak. Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Lesson Plans
Here are two sample activities/lessons I have students do in my archaeology and my cultural anthropology unit. I can write it up in "lesson plan" format if you'd prefer.
Lesson 1:
Virtual Archaeology Dig Task
Ms. Anson’s Anthropology Class, Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Task: You will be exploring an archaeological site of your choice. Since we cannot travel to these amazing sites, all work will be done via the following website: http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/index.html. You will then create your own 7-10 minute podcast about the site. Finally, your classmates will listen and watch your podcasts and evaluate them.
Step 1: Learn how to use GarageBand.
Step 2: Start reading through the list of sites found below. Which one interests you the most? Select one for this project and write your choice here:.
Step 3: Explore the site you have chosen. Read through everything on the site, from field notes to what was found in the excavation. At the same time, start working on your project related to the site. You can even send an email to the archaeologists at some of these sites if you have a question. Your presentation should include information about archaeological procedure, findings, analysis, and any other relevant information specific to your site. Finally, you must include visuals in your presentation, refer to archaeological terms and procedures as learned in class, and present all information in your own words. Quoting someone is fine as long as you clearly say so in your podcast.
Step 4: You will be asked to listen and watch two podcasts of your fellow students and fill out an evaluation sheet on what you learned.
Current digs:
Hierakonpolis: City of the Hawk
Join us as we reveal more about the very dawn of Egyptian civilization and investigate early beer making!
Black Sea Shipwreck Research Project
Join Benjamin Goetsch and his team and their international colleagues as they finish excavation of the Pisa Wreck and begin a survey off the coast of Crimea.
Unlocking a Civil War Prison
Join archaeologist David Bush beyond the "dead line" at Johnson's Island, Ohio. This season, investigation of the prison hospital continues.
City in the Clouds
We take you back to Sagalassos, a classical city perched high in the mountains of southwestern Turkey.
Past Digs:
Distilling the Past
Explore George Washington's post-presidential career as a whiskey distiller at Mount Vernon.
Revealing Ancient Bolivia
Return with archaeologists to Tiwanaku, the mysterious site high in the Andes.
Letters from Arizona
Join Forest Archaeologist Peter Pilles as he excavates Elden Pueblo.
Diving with the Dead
Editor Kristin Romey explores sacred Maya cenotes in the Yucatán.
In Vesuvius' Shadow
Join our search for the patricians and slaves who lived in Pompeii.
A Puzzle in the Petén
How did the Maya site of Waka' fit into the struggle between two superpowers?
Search for the Maya Underworld
Follow a special expedition to find untouched caves in the jungle of Belize.
Petra's Great Temple
Visit the ancient Nabataean city of Petra and watch as a Great Temple is rediscovered.
Beneath the Black Sea
Searching for shipwrecks off Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula
Brooklyn's Eighteenth-century Lott House
Uncover the buried past of a Dutch family living on the fringes of a burgeoning city.
Lesson 2:
Building Your Own Virtual Museum
Ms. Anson’s Anthropology Class, Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Task: You have been asked by the Smithsonian to propose an exhibit for their new museum on world cultures. You will examine one culture in order to determine who the people are, what their society was like, and what they believe is important.
Your proposal must be a virtual tour exhibit of this culture using powerpoint. If the Smithsonian selection committee likes your proposal, your exhibit will be funded and then constructed in the new museum.
Step 1: Using the attached map, pick ONE culture.
Which culture did you pick?_
Step 2: With your partner, start researching your culture. As you research be sure to fill in the ethnographic information sheet. It is this type of information that you must include in your museum.
Cultural Resources:
You may research your culture online using websites and databases. Be sure to include a list of references at the end of your powerpoint. And remember, all information put into your museum MUST be in your own words! Your culture’s information must come from at least four resources.
Step 3: Start making your virtual museum in powerpoint.
Powerpoint Resources:
In order to costruct your virtual museum exhibit, you need to know how to design a museum in powerpoint. Please refer to the class handout entitled “Creating a Virtual Museum Using One Point Linear Perspective” and “Hanging Paintings I Your Room” by the Keith Valley Middle School Technology Integration Program. You can also find this handout at http://www.hatboro-horsham.org/4067362111456/FileLib/browse.asp?A=374&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=51541. Keep it open on your computer as you work with powerpoint.
Assessment: This is worth a test grade. Your museum will be evaluated on the following:
1. The projects should clearly explain all ethnographic categories and contain many pictures related to the information.
2. Your museum should include at least three wings with information for so “visitors” can thoroughly understand your culture. Each wing should cover a different aspect of your topic. The viewer should be able to “walk” from wing to wing by clicking on hyperlinks.
3. Each artifact and exhibit must be hyperlinked to something that you created (such as a PowerPoint slide or a Word document) that identifies what the artifact or exhibit is and gives the relevant background information in your own words. This slide, for example, may then be hyperlinked to something you didn’t create (like a website or a video). It must also have a “back button” to return the user to the museum.
4. Your museum must be designed for the visitor, including how museum-like it appears, how easy it is to navigate, and how complete a story it tells for each subtopic and for the topic as a whole.
5. Your powerpoint should include a bibliography in MLA format on the last slide.
Ethnography Sheet:
Culture:
Please find the following information for your culture and fill in the form.
Location:
Description of the Geographic Area:
Idea of Beauty/Body Adornment:
Religion/Belief System:
Rites of Passage:
Cultural Taboos:
Subsistence Strategies:
Diet/Eating Habits:
Gender Roles:
Family Structure:
Language/Communication:
Political System:
Economy:
Art/Music/Leisure Activities
Political Structure/Government:
Means of Educating Younger Members:
What has happened to the people since outsiders such as anthropologists contacted them? Modern technology? How has this affected their way of life?
Lesson 3:
Presentation/Project
Newspaper/News TV
by Professor Kerri Waibel, teacher at Clifton High School and adjunct at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ.
Choose any topic in your text book. It should be specific; a topic like “women” would be too broad and would result in an unfocused project. Then, choose a media medium; it could be news, news paper, magazines, movies, commercials or another pre-approved medium. You will then make twelve selections and put them in some kind of presentation. (Pasting newspaper articles on paper is fine.) Then analyze each selection using the cultural concepts in your text. The analysis should be between 3-4 pages typed, double spaced, 12 Font, TIMES NEW ROMAN.
Table of Contents
Suggested Readings
Here are some suggested readings for a high school or undergrad intro to anthropology course. The list was compiled by Professor Kerri Waibel, teacher at Clifton High School and adjunct at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ.1. Kottak, Conrad Phillip/Kozaitis, Kathryn. On Being Different. Diversity and Multiculturalism in the
North American Mainstream.2008.
2. Sharff, Jagna. King Kong On 4th Street: Families and the Violence of Poverty On the LowerEast Side
3. Rafferty, Kevin A., Ukaeghu, Dorothy Chinwe. Faces of Anthropology. “A Reader for the 21st Century”
5th Edition.
4. Turnbull, Colin M. The Forest People.
5. Podolefsky. Applying Anthropology, An Introductory Reader.
6. Kottak. Mirror for Humanity: A Concise Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Lesson Plans
Here are two sample activities/lessons I have students do in my archaeology and my cultural anthropology unit. I can write it up in "lesson plan" format if you'd prefer.
Lesson 1:
Virtual Archaeology Dig TaskMs. Anson’s Anthropology Class, Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Task: You will be exploring an archaeological site of your choice. Since we cannot travel to these amazing sites, all work will be done via the following website: http://www.archaeology.org/interactive/index.html. You will then create your own 7-10 minute podcast about the site. Finally, your classmates will listen and watch your podcasts and evaluate them.
Step 1: Learn how to use GarageBand.
Step 2: Start reading through the list of sites found below. Which one interests you the most? Select one for this project and write your choice here:.
Step 3: Explore the site you have chosen. Read through everything on the site, from field notes to what was found in the excavation. At the same time, start working on your project related to the site. You can even send an email to the archaeologists at some of these sites if you have a question. Your presentation should include information about archaeological procedure, findings, analysis, and any other relevant information specific to your site. Finally, you must include visuals in your presentation, refer to archaeological terms and procedures as learned in class, and present all information in your own words. Quoting someone is fine as long as you clearly say so in your podcast.
Step 4: You will be asked to listen and watch two podcasts of your fellow students and fill out an evaluation sheet on what you learned.
Current digs:
Hierakonpolis: City of the Hawk
Join us as we reveal more about the very dawn of Egyptian civilization and investigate early beer making!
Black Sea Shipwreck Research Project
Join Benjamin Goetsch and his team and their international colleagues as they finish excavation of the Pisa Wreck and begin a survey off the coast of Crimea.
Unlocking a Civil War Prison
Join archaeologist David Bush beyond the "dead line" at Johnson's Island, Ohio. This season, investigation of the prison hospital continues.
City in the Clouds
We take you back to Sagalassos, a classical city perched high in the mountains of southwestern Turkey.
Past Digs:
Distilling the Past
Explore George Washington's post-presidential career as a whiskey distiller at Mount Vernon.
Revealing Ancient Bolivia
Return with archaeologists to Tiwanaku, the mysterious site high in the Andes.
Letters from Arizona
Join Forest Archaeologist Peter Pilles as he excavates Elden Pueblo.
Diving with the Dead
Editor Kristin Romey explores sacred Maya cenotes in the Yucatán.
In Vesuvius' Shadow
Join our search for the patricians and slaves who lived in Pompeii.
A Puzzle in the Petén
How did the Maya site of Waka' fit into the struggle between two superpowers?
Search for the Maya Underworld
Follow a special expedition to find untouched caves in the jungle of Belize.
Petra's Great Temple
Visit the ancient Nabataean city of Petra and watch as a Great Temple is rediscovered.
Beneath the Black Sea
Searching for shipwrecks off Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula
Brooklyn's Eighteenth-century Lott House
Uncover the buried past of a Dutch family living on the fringes of a burgeoning city.
Lesson 2:
Building Your Own Virtual MuseumMs. Anson’s Anthropology Class, Ramapo High School, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Task: You have been asked by the Smithsonian to propose an exhibit for their new museum on world cultures. You will examine one culture in order to determine who the people are, what their society was like, and what they believe is important.
Your proposal must be a virtual tour exhibit of this culture using powerpoint. If the Smithsonian selection committee likes your proposal, your exhibit will be funded and then constructed in the new museum.
Step 1: Using the attached map, pick ONE culture.
Which culture did you pick?_
Step 2: With your partner, start researching your culture. As you research be sure to fill in the ethnographic information sheet. It is this type of information that you must include in your museum.
Cultural Resources:
You may research your culture online using websites and databases. Be sure to include a list of references at the end of your powerpoint. And remember, all information put into your museum MUST be in your own words! Your culture’s information must come from at least four resources.
Step 3: Start making your virtual museum in powerpoint.
Powerpoint Resources:
In order to costruct your virtual museum exhibit, you need to know how to design a museum in powerpoint. Please refer to the class handout entitled “Creating a Virtual Museum Using One Point Linear Perspective” and “Hanging Paintings I Your Room” by the Keith Valley Middle School Technology Integration Program. You can also find this handout at http://www.hatboro-horsham.org/4067362111456/FileLib/browse.asp?A=374&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=51541. Keep it open on your computer as you work with powerpoint.
Assessment: This is worth a test grade. Your museum will be evaluated on the following:
1. The projects should clearly explain all ethnographic categories and contain many pictures related to the information.
2. Your museum should include at least three wings with information for so “visitors” can thoroughly understand your culture. Each wing should cover a different aspect of your topic. The viewer should be able to “walk” from wing to wing by clicking on hyperlinks.
3. Each artifact and exhibit must be hyperlinked to something that you created (such as a PowerPoint slide or a Word document) that identifies what the artifact or exhibit is and gives the relevant background information in your own words. This slide, for example, may then be hyperlinked to something you didn’t create (like a website or a video). It must also have a “back button” to return the user to the museum.
4. Your museum must be designed for the visitor, including how museum-like it appears, how easy it is to navigate, and how complete a story it tells for each subtopic and for the topic as a whole.
5. Your powerpoint should include a bibliography in MLA format on the last slide.
Ethnography Sheet:
Culture:
Please find the following information for your culture and fill in the form.
Location:
Description of the Geographic Area:
Idea of Beauty/Body Adornment:
Religion/Belief System:
Rites of Passage:
Cultural Taboos:
Subsistence Strategies:
Diet/Eating Habits:
Gender Roles:
Family Structure:
Language/Communication:
Political System:
Economy:
Art/Music/Leisure Activities
Political Structure/Government:
Means of Educating Younger Members:
What has happened to the people since outsiders such as anthropologists contacted them? Modern technology? How has this affected their way of life?
Lesson 3:
Presentation/ProjectNewspaper/News TV
by Professor Kerri Waibel, teacher at Clifton High School and adjunct at Montclair State University in Montclair, NJ.
Choose any topic in your text book. It should be specific; a topic like “women” would be too broad and would result in an unfocused project. Then, choose a media medium; it could be news, news paper, magazines, movies, commercials or another pre-approved medium. You will then make twelve selections and put them in some kind of presentation. (Pasting newspaper articles on paper is fine.) Then analyze each selection using the cultural concepts in your text. The analysis should be between 3-4 pages typed, double spaced, 12 Font, TIMES NEW ROMAN.
Web Resources
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